Beaver Island Michigan

Beaver Island is an ideal place for community owned solar and wind cooperative. Stop importing power from the mainland. Start exporting it off and create real Island independence. This is just one example, but there are many community owned solar coops taking off around the world. Great lakes energy...

Island growers with sandy soil will be amazed at a newer practice called Hugelkulture. It is essentially, burying logs and wood biomass with whatever little topsoil and organic matter that you have. The decomposing wood acts as a moisture rich, nutrient dense growing medium, and plants thrive. This ...

Might this be a solution to the problems your group wishes to address? http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/cities/seattle-builds-nations-largest-food-forest/2135 local jobs, food for the pantry, Less dependence on foreign oil and multi national corporations by sourcing food/goods from home rather than a...

thank you for the replies everyone!

That would be wonderful Marie!! Can I call you this week sometime to talk more? feel free to email me privately if you like : ayers.nathan@gmail.com

Thanks!

Hi all, I had an email exchange with Dr. Leuck recently, and he said he thought some copies of his book were still floating around the island, perhaps at the toy store, or print museum. Does anyone know where I can come buy a copy? I will be coming into town on Friday. Thank you very much in advance...

One of my old Permaculture instructors, Wayne Weisman, has been using the pragmites for roof thatching. From the looks of his photos, it would make a good straw as well for all the gardeners on the island. http://www.permacultureproject.com/kinstone-phragmites-and-the-wonders-of-wisconsin-in-spring ...

Beaver Island would benefit greatly from a long term Agro-Forestry plan. This type of system is all about sustainable resource management AND economic development. Agro-forestry incorporates timber, fiber, fuel, energy, and food harvesting with sustainable land use management. There are DOZENS of fu...

Heidi, will you have any fruit tree saplings for sale this year? If not, do you know of any good places in NW Michigan to order from? Thanks! Nate Ayers

USDA EQIP program:

Money to start a new organic farm as well as many other programs for rural agriculture/conservation:

http://www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip.html

Wondering if anyone had heard the recent news of this public food forest in Seattle? http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/cities/seattle-builds-nations-largest-food-forest/2135 There is a lot of economic development happening in cities and towns producing their own food, and the corresponding businesses ...